Set top boxes receive some media content, such as television programming, program information, and on-demand content, through a tuner. Many set top boxes have multiple tuners so that content subscribers can watch or record content on one tuner while simultaneously recording content on another tuner. Competition for available tuners within a household can arise when the set top box has fewer tuners than household members, especially if the household members have different content viewing preferences. Moreover, a limited number of tuners can prevent content subscribers from watching television content, downloading on-demand content, and fetching program guide information if all of the tuners are in use.